Duniway’s Aftershock robotics team visits Capitol

Duniway’s Aftershock robotics team visits Capitol

Posted on 02/24/2016

The Duniway robotics team Aftershock was featured in an event at the Capitol in Salem today.The team was invited to showcase their state-competition-bound robot at “Why We Love Afteschool and Summer.” The event was hosted by OregonASK, an organization that promotes quality out-of-school time activities with a special emphasis on STEM programs.

Kayden Bartley, Chloe Capener and Faith Miller, accompanied by parent Jake Bartley, spent the morning putting their robot through its paces, visiting various legislators and being introduced on the floors of the Senate and House of Representatives.

In a surprise encounter, the team met Governor Kate Brown and did a special presentation of the robot’s capabilities while she peppered the team with questions about the robot’s functions, the science activities in the McMinnville School District, and the students' future career plans.

The team is the only district robotics team that qualified for the state FIRST Tech Challenge robotics championship tournament, which will be held the weekend of February 27 at Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland.

Other team members, not in attendance at the Capitol event, are Michael Crain, James Eitzen, Garrett Gibson, Tyler Hinthorn, Jose Flores and Ryan Martinez. The team is coached by Dave Larson. For more information about MSD’s 2016 FIRST Tech Challenge teams, click here.